Second Chances
by Himitsu no Tokumei
Summary: TohruxNatsuno, eventual-ToshioxSeishin. In the aftermath of Sotoba's destruction, Toshio Ozaki can finally think calmly. And he is starting to wonder if he did the right thing. When he happens upon the recovering Tohru and Natsuno, he can't help but wonder if someone is playing a cruel joke on him, and in a split-second decision decides to take the two and run to the city.
1. Chapter 1: Aftermath

I am a very bad girl. Rather than writing in the stories I already have started, I took up not one, but TWO new stories... This is just the first one. The other one will be a Shiki Karneval crossover called **The Other Half** , but it doesn't have any completed chapters yet. As such, I cannot give an update schedule for this story. I want to see if I can keep my focus on my other stories as well, but seeing as to how this one wouldn't stop bugging me I eventually relented.

A quick note, I have only ever watched the anime series for this, but I looked up some additional information. How much of it is canon I cannot say for sure, so if I completely screw something up I'm sorry.

Another note, I have taken some liberty with the creation of Jinrou, which was inspired by **Salt-The_Catgirl** 's **Another Way** series. She was kind enough to let me build on the themes she created for my own story, and I would like thank her for that. I will not include the details in here for they will (most likely) be explained at a later date and I wish not to spoil any plot points that might be connected to it.

 **I do not own Shiki :'(**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Aftermath**

The extinguished fire perfectly mirrored his rage, now that the ashes were cooling his head was finally able to think clearly again. Toshio Ozaki looked upon the destruction served by his actions and couldn't help but wonder just how much he had lost in this war. Half of the village was burned, many were dead—his wife among them—and he had lost the person who meant the most to him. He didn't know what had happened to Seishin, but judging from the remains of the temple he now stood by it couldn't be good. Was he dead? If so, did he Rise?

Had there been another way?

These things had been monsters, _evil_ , and yet… His mind wandered back to the conversation he'd had with Ritsuko's friend, the frightened nurse insisting on seeing the staked body of her friend. From what she'd told him Ritsuko refused to feed on her, stood by her resolve for days before finally convincing her guard to release her friend. Tohru Mutou. The boy had been the one to free her at Ritsuko's request. He hadn't remembered seeing him among the corpses, but he also hadn't seen them all. If it hadn't been for that boy then they wouldn't have found this place in time and who knows how many Shiki would have escaped.

Dropping his cigarette to the ash covered ground and grinding it cold with his shoe, he turned to face the Kirishiki's mansion, now in shambles from the raid and fire. He had almost been controlled by them, so very close to just being another pawn in covering up their scheme. Had it not been for Natsuno, had the sixteen-year-old Jinrou not gotten to him first then the entire village might as well have been killed. He distinctly remembered the explosion in the distance, towards the ravine they'd been throwing the bodies into. He could only guess it was that boy's doing.

In the end, they had only managed to win in the battle against the Shiki because some of them helped them. And now that it was all over, it couldn't help but cringe at the brutality with which they slaughtered them. He didn't know if there were others like Ritsuko or Tohru or Natsuno. Maybe they were the rare deviants of their kind. But the fact that it wasn't just the Okiagari that they had killed was starting to weigh heavily on his shoulders.

Turning from the ruined temple, Toshio slowly started back down the hill. A couple villagers greeted him on the way, rummaging through the remains of the empty houses, some left deserted when the families ran and other from the fact that the residents had long since been Okiagari. It didn't matter which, for those left behind needed the supplies to survive.

Eventually his feet took him passed the clinic he once worked at, where Ritsuko used to work, where he had brutally tormented his Risen wife to learn what he needed about her kind. He couldn't even bare to look at it. He had been a doctor, meant to save lives, and he had instigated the terrible massacre at Sotoba. No, he had no right to call himself a doctor anymore, and once he helped the few people left and gathered his own things he would leave this place, and find some other occupation that would keep his as far away from medicinal practices as possible.

* * *

 _ **Hours Before**_

Natsuno stared up at the other Jinrou with blank eyes, absently striking the match into life and introducing the flame to the end of the wick. "Don't you fear dying?" the other asked him, voice sounding almost resigned, as if he realized there was really no way out of this situation. He glanced around their deep prison, as if wondering if there was some place he could go to escape the blast, before returning his gaze to the dark-purple-haired teen.

The fuse continued to shorten, drawing ever closer to the three sticks of dynamite in his hand. "I already died awhile ago," he replied, a sense of relief in his voice. It was finally going to end, he was going to take this monster that had stolen what little happiness he had found in this backwater village down and that would be that. If it wasn't for them then maybe he could have gone to a city once he graduated, convincing that annoying blonde that had managed to weasel his way into his life to come with him.

He hadn't seen Tohru's body amongst the dead, but he hoped that wherever the boy was that his death was quick. Funny, how even after he had offered him another way, even after he had betrayed him, killed him, _turned_ him, he still wished to see the other boy. Lying to the other boy had been easy, saying he could never forgive him, but trying to hide it from himself was… He still hoped that Tohru would be spared a horrid death.

Then an image appeared at the mouth of their tomb, a dark splotch against the red glare of the growing fire. It grew rapidly, the whistling of disturbed air accompanied by a terrifying scream. He couldn't make out what was being said, if anything was, but in just a couple quick seconds the younger Jinrou realized the object hurtling towards him was a slab of the chasm wall approximately five meters in length. It landed with a loud crash behind him, another form launching off it like a projectile straight at the smaller Okiagari. Vaguely Natsuno recognized the feel of fingers on his wrist, the explosives wrenched from his grasp as his body was quickly tossed—no, carried—behind the new barrier. The other Jinrou howled in rage, but his mind had already decided to shut down. Then there was the explosion, and everything went black.

* * *

The sun had already traveled across the sky when Natsuno woke, the smell of smoke and charred flesh heavy in the air. Despite not needing to breath he could tell that the oxygen was thin around him, and judging by the rotted stench permeating from the other side of the wall he was facing he could only guess it had been consumed by some kind of fire. He still couldn't seem to think straight, though, and as he brought a hand to his nose in an attempt to escape the assaulting smell he slowly took in his surroundings.

His senses gradually started coming back to him, his memory unclouding as the sun set closer and closer to the horizon. How was he still alive? The dynamite had been resting on his chest, positioned just over his heart. By all rights he should be in about a hundred pieces right now, so how was he still alive? Something was still missing in his thoughts, a hole in his recollection of the previous night. At least, he guessed it was the previous night; there was no way to gauge how much time he had passed in that pit. And since he was still alive he would have to find a new way to dispose of himself, since his previous plan didn't seem to have worked.

Then the shadow came back into his mind, the feeling of the dynamic being taken from him and his body being lifted from where he landed. Right, someone had saved him. But who? Why? Was Tatsumi still alive?

Struggling to his feet, first forcing himself to his hands and knees, Natsuno eased himself over to the large slab of upper wall. How had it been dislodged? Perhaps it had been about to fall as it was and someone else just helped it along. Strength returning to him even as he forced his way over the uneven surface of Shiki corpses, he leaned on the barrier as he peered around it, searching for any sign as to what had happened to the older Jinrou. At first, nothing stood out to him. There were large scorch marks on the steep sides of the chasm, pieces of charred bodies scattered around a large crater, but nothing indicative of he highly eccentric Okiagari.

Then a flash of teal caught his eye. Head whipping around to face the splash of color, to both his horror and relief he laid his violet eyes upon the man he had been searching for. Or, at least, his charred, severed head, an expression of sheer terror frozen on his face. He _had_ managed to take the other Jinrou out. So whoever had stopped his own death was either not on Tatsumi's side, or had accidentally killed the one he was really trying to help. But who had done it?

Now feeling well enough to move away from his support, he started scouring the devastated pit for whoever had fallen down with the slab? We're they even still alive, or had the blast done them in as well? The only other thing in there with him seemed to be the unmoving corpses, so the latter might very well be true. And considering the damage before him, had they not been on _his_ side of the barrier then there was little chance of their survival.

Turning around and glancing over the piles of bodies, the young Okiagari was starting to doubt he would find the one when one of the bodies caught his eye. Maybe it was the fact this one wasn't wrapped in a cloth, perhaps it was that half of it seemed to have been seared despite being well behind the rock, or it could have been the familiar shade of blonde hair covering half of its head, but he immediately knew that body. "T-Tohru," he stuttered, shambling over towards his best friend; and almost surprisingly, he still seemed to consider him that in some deep part of his being despite what the other had done. _So... You are dead...?_ he thought, kneeling beside the corpse. Placing a hand on the Shiki's forehead, he could do nothing but stare for a moment before the sight became too much and he looked away. He was about to stand and walk away when a strange sensation overcame him, gluing his hand to the blonde and his feet to the floor. Almost mechanically, his head turned back to face the one that had sired him, dark eyes studying the burnt remains of the Shiki's head. _Oh my god..._ he thought, unable to tear his eyes away. _He's still alive!_ "But why isn't he moving?" He asked aloud, gazing up at the sky that had now darkened with the end of dusk. As a Shiki, Tohru should be stirring from the 'dead sleep' by now, but he was completely motionless, nothing indicating that the older Okiagari was still among the undead even though the Jinrou just _knew_. The injuries on his body were severe and not healing, but Natsuno didn't doubt his gut instinct. Now just to get them both out of there and somewhere safe.

Searching the bodies at his feet for a couple lengths of rope, a plan of escape from the pit was already forming in his head. He was certain he would need all of his limbs to climb the steep walls, leaving carrying his friend's body out of the question. However, tying the slightly taller male to his back, provided he could find the supplies, should work. Finding what he was looking for several feet away, he reluctantly removed his hand from the boy's body, his thoughts inexplicably fearing that by losing that contact that the blonde would mysteriously evaporate into thin air. But if he didn't retrieve the rope they would both remain trapped in that dark hole, and without some type of nourishment Natsuno would not be able to climb out for much longer, as well as the fact that any delay could lead to them being exposed when the sun rose again and sear the rest of Tohru's body.

Scrambling over to the bound corpse, he made quick work of the knots and pulled the thick cord out from around the dead Shiki's ankles. Dried blood stained the brown rope, coloring it a shade similar to brick in splotches, but he barely paid it any heed. Untying its twin from around the form's wrist, it was only then that he realized the body was of a woman. She wasn't one that he recognized, but her face was twisted in a terrified visage, obviously having been awake when the human mob had staked her. Part of him actually felt sorry for her, but he quickly shook those thoughts away, both physically and mentally. _How many people did she kill?_ he asked himself, purposely ignoring the fact that the Okiagari he was currently working to protect had done the exact same thing. He didn't know this woman, though, couldn't know for sure if had she regretted her actions or reveled in them. And he didn't have time to dwell on it for every second he waited was a wasted second Tohru might not have.

Rushing back to the unconscious blonde, the Jinrou carefully placed his hands under the older male's arms and lifted him from the debris, trying his best to not disturb and aggravate the wounds littering his body. Pulling his pale arms over his shoulders, he tied the Shiki's wrists together in front of his neck, doing his best to make sure the knot was secure enough to hold him, but not so tight that it would slowly dig through the skin. Next was to bind the other's ankles around his waist. Praying it would not inflict further injury on his friend, Natsuno gently bounced Tohru higher up on his back, resting the blonde's head on his shoulder. Quickly tying the older male's legs together in front of him, he then allowed him to sag back down and to the point where his bound hands were practically choking the Jinrou. Then he stood and gazed up at the monumental task ahead of him.

Natsuno wasn't even sure where to start. The task at hand loomed high above him, and he hadn't exactly taken rock climbing before. If there even was a route to picked out from the steep walls he hadn't the faintest clue where to start looking. However… Looking at his hands, the violet-haired male wondered if his claws would be strong enough to pierce the rock. Stalking over to the rough surface, he glanced between it and his nails for a short moment before quickly slicing his hands across the glaring rock face. To his delight, five deep gouges appeared in the solid stone, pieces of rock flying to the side with the force of his swing. This just might work…

It had taken a bit of trial and error to figure out exactly what he needed to do to scale the wall. At times he had to back up slightly because he couldn't find a proper foot hold, which typically resulted in him making one by digging out sections of rock, and others he found menacing cracks that reminded him of the jagged edge of the barrier that protected him from the dynamite. Last thing he wanted was for another slab to dislodge because of his actions and result in him falling back to the bottom of the pit. This resulted in slow progress, and it ended up taking over an hour for him to scale the pit.

Tohru hadn't stirred once the entire climb, but through the contact Natsuno still got the sense that his sire wasn't truly dead. Now out of the chasm, he repositioned his charge to make himself more comfortable, hands locked under the blonde's rear and his head again resting on his shoulder. Their problems were far from over, though. When he woke Tohru would need to feed, and Natsuno had no intention of letting him attack humans again. By no means would he make his best friend starve, but they'd have to come up with a solution quickly. Also, there was the problem of shelter. He wasn't sure just how far the fire had spread, and if some were spared if they were already occupied. If the village had been saved from the fire he was certain the humans that were left had holed up in the intact buildings, so there was no point in checking there, and he was certain Yamairi had been decimated. Still, for some reason, he found himself walking towards the latter in hope something had been spared.

Sure enough, just as he'd expected, there was only the charred skeletons of the former settlement. Ash covered the ground like snow, the lumpy patches scattered around the only markers for what remained of the dead Okiagari. Old support beams that hadn't quite been entirely devoured by the flames jutted out of the grey expanse as if they were broken ribs through the chest wall, the last markers for what used to be the Shiki hideouts. None remained intact, as had been expected, but the trip did confirm one other suspicion the Jinrou had tossed around; there were fresh boot prints in the ash. Someone—or more accurately, someones—had been back here since the fire broke, most likely checking to see if there were any survivors. The tracks led back in the direction of Sotoba, so more likely than not their owners had been human.

Following the tracks, Natsuno quickly climbed the small hill until he could see down into the valley below. Despite the night sky offering little light he could see just fine, one of the perks of being an Okiagari, and from what he could tell the fire was stopped before it could completely destroy Sotoba. There was a line about a third of the way through town where the damage hastily lessened, no doubt where the fire trucks had finally intercepted the blaze, and beyond that there appeared to be no signs of fire. His house was on that side, as was Tohru's. He didn't dare try to make that trip, though. If those who came up to Yamairi were doing so in search of surviving Okiagari then the last place he wanted to bring the unconscious blonde was into the heart of their domain. However, this bit of knowledge was extremely helpful because he distinctly remembered finding a cottage several miles west of his home, tucked away in the woods, when he wandered through them after Rising. If its owner lived on the safe side of Sotoba—or better yet, had been an Okiagari that was now slain—he could easily take up residence there for a few days until he managed to sort things out without too much worry of being discovered. And since the humans were no doubt still leery of surviving Shiki during the hours of darkness he should be able to make it through without obstruction provided he stayed away from the roads.

Shifting his burden's weight slightly and glancing at his shoulder to confirm the older teen was still asleep, Natsuno sighed quietly and started picking his way down the slope, careful to stay in the tracks of whoever had previously traversed the hill. If they chose to come back up the next morning he didn't want to risk them becoming suspicious of his tracks. It was for this reason, too, that when he came to the road he followed it in the wheel tracks for approximately half a mile before slipping over the opposite edge and continuing on his way. If the expedition to Yamairi had all piled into a vehicle once they made it to the road then it would look really odd for a set of footprints to continue down at that spot and they might follow in search of a Shiki.

The ash thinned to just a light dusting the closer he got to the village. Soon he knew that he would have to start detouring to the north until he found more concealing trees, the skeleton remains he was currently walking through providing little cover if he happened upon someone. That side was also away from the road leading out of the village and was less likely to have anyone on watch.

The only trouble he ran into as he picked a path through the forest was time. It was taking longer than he'd thought it would making his way to the mountain but he'd seen before, his pace weighted by the young Shiki he was carrying on his back. Had he had the ability to run there it would have taken him maybe an hour because of his Jinrou-enhanced speed, but with the risk of worsening Tohru's injuries he had to trudge on slowly. At this rate it looked like he might make it just barely before sunrise.

Fatigue was already setting in and the sky was lightening with the first tinges of dawn by the time the wooden structure came into view. He hadn't seen any indication that anyone had come this way recently, though, so with any luck the building would be considered deserted and the two Okiagari wouldn't need an invitation to enter. If his luck was bad he'd simply hole up in the woodshed until nightfall and find a new place in the morning, possibly even risking entering the village to go to his own home because he honestly had no clue where else he could go that could provide his companion with cover.

Standing a few feet from the door for over a minute, just staring at the metal handle, he bravely swallowed his apprehension and stepped up to the wooden portal. _Moment of truth time,_ he thought and reached for the handle. It was locked, but it didn't repel him. Vaguely he remembered Tohru trying to open the door to his home that first night he came to drink his blood, but he couldn't let doubt invade his thoughts. It may be locked, but his new strength could more than match it.

Jerking down on the handle he heard the locking mechanism snap and the bolt slide out of the way. And opening the door he took the first step inside their new shelter.

The first room was a large living area, a couch and two chair circling a coffee table and area rug in the center of the room and a wood fireplace depressed into the far wall. A couple end tables with vases of fake flowers were pressed against the walls as well, but whoever owned this cottage didn't seem to hunt for no trophies adorned the walls. The large windows made this room less than ideal, though, so closing the door carefully he headed down the hallway to his left.

The first door he came to was a bathroom, and if the worst came about it would work for their current needs. While fairly small, the bath/shower combination taking up just under half the space, there were no windows. He could lay Tohru in the tub to sleep and take the floor for himself. The next door, though, looked much more inviting. The king-sized bed was pushed back into the corner, the only window in the place offset from it by more than a meter and covered by thick curtains. The bedside table could easily be moved to hold it down more securely as well, hopefully preventing any sunlight from reaching the vulnerable Shiki. And if some did manage to reach the bed there were several plush blankets he could use to cover his friend.

Taking just a moment to reposition the nightstand against the window, finding that it also extended partially over the sill which could help slow down any who tried to enter there, he walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge. Untying the blonde's feet first, he kept a good grip on his pale wrist as he let the other rope fall to meet it on the floor. Tohru's back was where most of the damage to his body was located, so as he slowly lowered the other boy to the cotton surface he made sure to lay him on his side. Then, gently as possible, he shoved the older male back into the far corner, as far away from both the window and door as possible. And feeling his own weary body trying to give out, he curled up around him protectively as a Jinrou shield and fell into a light slumber.

* * *

Alright, something I will explain here really quick. I'm not sure if it is mentioned somewhere in the manga, so if it is or if it contradicts what I'm about to say, just know this is how it works in this story. Neither Jinrou nor Shiki can enter someone's home uninvited. However, if the house has been abandoned (No one has lived there for more than a week) then the barrier fades and they can enter. If someone decides to reoccupy the house (which is accomplished just by walking through the threshold with the intent to stay there) then the barrier will go back up. If the Shiki or Jinrou are already inside at the time nothing will happen to them. But if they leave then they lose their 'invitation' and cannot reenter unless invited.


	2. Chapter 2: Discovered

Whoo, second chapter done for this one! I've been having a lot of fun writing this one, and while I want to keep writing more chapters for this story I think I am only going to finish chapter 2 for **The Other Half** before getting my main cycle stories updated again. I can't neglect them just because I started these two, so I hope you can be patient with me. I will try not to make the intermission too long, but for those of you unfamiliar with my stories I have on two occasions had year or longer hiatuses. Those were both extreme cases, so hopefully it will never happen again.

A term I use to denote Natsuno is violette. I use similar ones in other stories, combining the color of their hair with ette to create a new term for it. Purple was kind of hard, but it ended up being violette.

Enjoy the **4,172 words!**

 **I do not own Shiki**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Discovered**

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the sun was still high in the sky when he woke. The room around him was perfectly still, not a single item disturbed in the time he had been asleep. An almost eerie silence filled the space, the type that permeated the air as if only the dead resided there. And in a way, that was true. Both he and the other male with him had died, only to be brought back in some kind of cursed, immortal existence.

Glancing down to his left, it did not surprise him to see the blonde in the exact same position as before; it wasn't night yet, so of course he wouldn't stir. Rippling scars and half-inch long hair covered half of his head, the only outward signs that he was still alive, but when Natsuno placed a hand on his cool forehead he was again filled with the understanding that Tohru was not truly dead. The Shiki's 'dead sleep' just made them look like actual corpses.

Taking in the tattered rags hanging on his body, Natsuno quickly resolved to find the blonde something else to wear. Reluctantly removing his hand, the Jinrou silently slipped off the bed and started exploring the room. The large door at the other end led to a walk-in closet, filled from wall to wall with a rainbow of dresses, skirts, and frilly tops, and probably twenty pairs of shoes lining the floor, most of which were high heels. There were a couple pairs of men's boots, which at least confirmed that he should be able to find something to replace the other male's burned rags, but no other articles of clothing. Unless he wanted to 'dress-up doll' with the sleeping blonde it looked like he would have to search elsewhere.

Retrieving both pairs of boots, he sat them down near the wall and then closed the closet door. His next stop would be the dresser shoved against the inner wall. Again, the top drawer held only women's clothing, casting a doubt in his mind that he'd be able to find something for Tohru to well. Pulling out a grey, low collared top, he guessed that if worse came to worst some of these might look unisex enough that it wasn't obvious he'd dressed his friend in girl's clothes, but he really would prefer to find something meant for a male. He'd need replacement pants, too, and based on what he'd seen so far of this woman's fashion he'd be lucky if he found any jeans at all, let alone ones that would fit the somewhat lanky teen.

Laying two shirts out of thirty on the top as 'potentials' so he wouldn't have to dig back through it if he couldn't find others, he closed the drawer and opened the one below it. This one was also filled with shirts, but these were decidingly male. Most were button up flannel, long sleeved and thin, made for working outside in the sun without being too warm, like the ones he'd seen hay farmers wear in pictures. There were a couple other styles in there as well, but the work shirts seemed like they'd fit the blonde the best. It wasn't completely Tohru's style, but much better than a dress, and it also alluded to the other articles of clothing his friend would need. Tossing two grey and one red checkered shirt over to the boots, he closed the drawer and knelt down to the last one. Sliding it on the metal tracks, it let out a high pitched chime as it reached the deteriorated stop, the plastic coating flaking off to the metal. Gaze snapping to the resting Shiki, the blonde showed absolutely no signs of distress, as if completely dead to the world around him. Natsuno tried not to let the unsettling detail get to him, since even in the dead sleep Shiki would react to metallic sounds, so Tohru's complete listlessness was a foreboding sign in the Jinrou's mind.

Shaking his head to clear it, Natsuno mentally berated, _You don't have time to stand around and dwell on it. There are other tasks you need to do._ Besides, that subconscious knowledge that had told him Tohru was not dead had yet to recant that statement, or give any indication that the blonde was in dire peril, so it was best that he focused on what he could do rather than what was out of his control. Turning back to the drawer, he almost heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the row of folded jeans. Pulling one out and letting it fall open, he could just by looking that it would be a little big in the waist on his friend, but he could temporarily fix that with a belt, or some twine if he really had to. What mattered right now was setting aside something not blown to shreds for once his wounds healed and he woke. He then closed the bottom drawer and walked over to small pile he had created.

Satisfied with what he had retrieved, Natsuno dropped the pile at the foot of the bed. As tempting as it was to just curl back up next to the sleeping blonde, he did not have that luxury at the moment. His stomach growled with hunger, the long fingers of his thirst starting to claw at his throat, reminding him that it had been at least a full two days since he last had anything to eat.

Taking just enough time to throw a blanket over hi companion, he quietly clsed the door behind himself and made his way back down the hall to the living area. Opposite the hallway that led to the bedroom, in a small alcove lined with walls of glass, was a small dining area. The petite stove would be more than adequate to heat up something like a can of soup, provided it still had power and he could find something. Most likely it was run by electricity, though, and considering that it appeared the power was out in the house it probably wouldn't work and he'd have to eat whatever he found cold. Silently traversing the large room, the young Jinrou set about raiding the cupboards.

Based on what he saw, this place was rarely used. It was both a good and a bad sign, though, for while it meant that they would most likely not be disturbed, he also wasn't able to find a single thing to eat, the cupboards completely bare. The fire hadn't reached this part, so the chance that game would still exist in the woods was high, and he had hunted some before the battle as he tested out his innate abilities. However, that would mean leaving the cottage, and its precious cargo behind for potentially hours, which would be more than enough time for someone to stumble upon the undisturbed building and kill his companion. "I guess if I try to stay close, I can listen for someone approaching and get back before they do…" he stated out loud, glancing out the high windows before looking back to the hall. "I still have several hours before sunset, but this place is far enough from the village that anyone wandering this far will have to turn back in about an hour. If I try not to distance myself too much in that time I shouldn't have anything to worry about."

He still didn't like it, but with limited options he eventually sighed and made his way to the front door. Staring at the shattered lock, he almost wished he hadn't broken it now. Granted he needed to in order to get through the door, but it would ease his fears a little if he had the capability to lock it now. It couldn't be helped, though, and as he started off through the trees he resisted the urge to look back.

Soon after starting the hunt, the Jinrou took to the trees, moving silently through the branches and listening intently for any sign of movement, either animal or human. Over an hour had passed and so far he had found nothing. Some of the more clever prey could no doubt sense his presence and had fled the area, and the rest seemed to either be well hidden or had been spooked by something else, most likely the fire. He didn't like to think so negatively, but perhaps he had misjudged the indigenous creatures and they had all scattered to the winds and he wouldn't find anything to eat.

Just then a tiny heartbeat entered his range of hearing, the creature so small it couldn't be more than five hundred meters away. A tiny twig snapped under its feet, making it jump and breathe heavier as its long ears searched the stillness for some kind of predator. Amaranthine eyes had already trained on the wild hare by that time, watching its cautious movements and planning its own, waiting until just the perfect time to pound on the wary creature. As if it could feel those deadly pools on it, each little hop-step it took increased its heart rate by another point, the fragile thing beating so frantically as to burst out its chest by the time it was in the position the Okiagari wanted it in.

Leaping out of the tree, its prey moved at that last possible second, bounding off at full speed with a hungry vampire right on its tail. The lithe form weaved expertly around bushes and fallen logs, but the poor thing was no match for the Okiagari, and the chase was short lived. Grabbing the small animal with his teeth, eyes going black and red as his fangs pierced its hide, Natsuno quickly drained his catch. Taking it out of his mouth with one hand, he fretfully thought as he looked at the dead animal, _And that is one more problem that needs to be solved, too._ When he woke, Tohru would need to feed. Unfortunately, unlike Natsuno, he couldn't drink animal's blood, but the Jinrou had no intention of letting him attack humans again, either. Perhaps packaged blood would work, but the only place he could think of to get that would be Ozaki's clinic, and not only was it too late to try that tonight, but it was too dangerous to try it at all. The humans had moved back into Sotoba, at least temporarily, and that would leave Tohru alone in his dead sleep for much longer than Natsuno felt comfortable with. _Well, there is always that possibility that, maybe, I can feed him,_ he thought, staring down at one hand. _I may be an Okiagari, but I'm not the same as Tohru. I have a pulse, and I can eat normal food, so perhaps my blood can sate him. I do not know what effect it might have on me, though, so I should make sure to improve my strength before he wakes._

Looking back at the rabbit corpse, he suddenly encountered a new problem. Now he wished he had thought ahead to bring one of his pocket knives with him when he went after Tatsumi, or to grab a knife from the kitchenette back at the cottage before heading out. Because now he had the meat, but nothing to skin it with. His claws would probably work, but they were made more for rending and tearing that sheering, so it would take some time. At the same time, he didn't want to do this back at the cottage, so if he wanted to get back sooner he'd better get started.

As he'd thought, the process was slow. In order to save as much meat as possible on the scrawny thing he had to proceed with caution. He also couldn't risk building a fire, and with the power out back at the shelter he'd have no choice but to consume it raw. While it was an unappetizing thought at best, he knew he would need the energy. So, once creature's flesh had been separated from its skin and gut, he barely hesitated a second before sinking his teeth into the meat. There really wasn't much mess to be had, most of its blood having been drained before. At one point he accidentally crunched a bone, his powerful jaws making quick work of it and causing a shard to stab him in the gums, but that caused the most spilt blood out of the entire meal. In the end, all that was left was bones and skin and a few internal organs.

Wiping the last of the mess from his face, he looked up at the sky to see that the sun was already reaching towards the horizon. Soon it would be night and Tohru would stir, and they'd have to figure out some plan to feed the Shiki so he wouldn't have to worry about harming another human again. If Natsuno's plan worked, that may very well be possible.

Sprinting through the trees, it took very little time to get back to the cottage. As when he had arrived that morning, there was no barrier preventing him from entering, and the door seemed undisturbed, both good signs that no one had happened upon his temporary home in his absence. Guessing that he had approximately half an hour before the sun set and his friend would stir, he grabbed a rag really quick and went into the bathroom to double check in the mirror that none of his meal remained on his face before entering the bedroom, sitting down with his back against the wall, and pulling the heavy blanket off his friend. It was quite peaceful, watching the Shiki sleep, and it took him a few moments before he realized the entire room had gone pitch black. Had he not had the Okiagari's night vision he probably would have noticed it sooner, but once he realized the sun had indeed gone down, he started glancing around the room before returning his attention to the blonde.

He was deathly still. With night now descended around them, Tohru should be waking from the dead sleep, but he showed no signs of stirring an inch. "Tohru," Natsuno tried, poking the smooth side of his face. The skin had since grown over the burns on his body, but it was still crinkled as if scarred, and his hair needed to grow another couple inches before it matched the rest of its length so he wasn't entirely sure if he should touch it. When the Shiki didn't so much as twitch an eyelid, he hastily leapt off the bed and back over to the dresser. None-too-gently, he yanked on the bottom drawer, a loud ringing echoing through the room as the wooden compartment was torn from its tracks, one of the metal bars flying across the room and bouncing off the wall before coming to rest a few feet from the bed. Still Tohru didn't move. Scurrying back onto the covers, he gently placed a hand on his forehead and listened for that tiny voice that would tell him his friend was okay. There it was, prickling at the back of his mind and sending waves of reassurance through his core. He had no clue as to just what kind of shape he was in, but he could only hope it had some correlation to his wounds. Perhaps once they had fully healed he would wake up again.

* * *

That night had been extremely uneventful. Periodically he would press a hand to the blonde's forehead, or absently run his fingers through his silken hair, to confirm that he was still 'alive,' but aside from that it was hours of sitting and waiting. By the time the sun rose and he was starting to nod off the length of his companion's hair was only off by about an inch between where it had and hadn't been burned, the scar-like waves now reduced to just tiny ripples. And he drifted off with one hand loosely tangled in those golden locks.

When he woke up in the mid afternoon, the first thing he did was stare down at the blonde. There was almost no trace of the wounds left on hiss body now, his hair growing that last inch in the eight hours Natsuno had slept and the only burn sign on his face being a slight wrinkle every so often. No doubt when he got back from hunting the only way one would be able to tell he had been burned was by his clothes.

Easing himself off the bed, he had taken two steps before his booted foot hit something on the wood floor. It clanged loudly as it skipped across the polished floor, a high-pitched ringing filling the room. His mind was just recalling the metal track he'd wrenched from the dresser when he heard a soft whimper behind him. In his sleep, Tohru had curled himself up a little tighter and covered both ears with his hands, trying to block out the sound. The sight almost made the Jinrou whoop in joy, but such a childish act was not in his repertoire. If Tohru was reacting like a Shiki should that was a good sign that he'd wake up this night. Again covering the Shiki with the blanket on the off chance some sunlight reached him, Natsuno made a quick stop by the kitchen for a knife before heading out to hunt again.

His first kill was a little easier this time. Having revisited the carcass from the previous evening, he'd found that something had torn into the remains before scurrying back off to its home. Following the minute trail, he soon arrived at the deep burrow and managed to snatch up the scrawny fox before it could flee. In one final attempt to force its release, the creature had whipped its head around and bit him on the forearm, but that just resulted in a quick bit to the neck. As with the rabbit, he drained its blood before skinning it, though this time he had the knife to speed the procedure along, and eating what little meat was on its bone raw.

With plenty of time remaining before sunset, he left the carcass where he ate like last time and set off to find something a little more filling. Luck seemed to be on his side this time, because it didn't take him but half an hour to track down a hare just a little smaller than the last one. It was also less alert than his previous kill, having found a delicious patch of clover to much on. Within second he was upon on the small thing with his teeth in its jugular, pulling the crimson liquid from its veins until they collapsed. Making a mental note of where the clover patch was, he transported his kill somewhere else before skinning and eating it, hoping to use the succulent foliage to attract more prey the next day. Night was rapidly approaching now, though, so he had to get back.

When he got back to the cottage, he stopped just long enough on his way to the bedroom to check his face and make sure it was clean, then he climbed on the bed next to the sleeping bundled and pulled the blanket back to reveal Tohru's peaceful face. Watching him now, it was hard to believe the torment he had gone through, the shame of hunting and killing people in order to stay alive himself. And hopefully, he'd never have to do that again.

The sun dipped down to the horizon, its glowing orb quickly getting cut off until only a sliver remained poised on the distant hilltop. The sky reddened with its blood, and when that last figment finally disappeared below the earth, the blonde Shiki started to stir. A quiet groan escaped his lips as he was forced out of his deep sleep, but the look in those black-red eyes when they finally opened almost scared the Jinrou. There was no soul behind those pupils, no semblance of consciousness he could attach to his best friend. It was as if the cheerful gamer no longer existed. The creature stared at him for a couple short seconds, then launched right at his throat.

One hand flying up and connecting with his forehead, Natsuno was about to push him away when something in him said it was alright. He had listened to that voice before, the one that seemed to know that Tohru was not dead, and even now it was saying this bloodthirsty monster was his best friend, that Tohru was still in there. If that was the case, if this was just his thirst taking over like it had that day in the woods when he'd offered his blood to the Shiki, then why wasn't he showing remorse? He wanted to fight against him, to beat his best friend back out of this thing and make him realize what he was doing, but instead he just let his arm go limp.

Tohru was not being gentle with his bite, fangs ripping through the Jinrou's flesh. That strong throat pulled his blood from the wound even as his heart pumped the warm liquid into his mouth, strong hands gripping his shoulders and keeping him in place where he'd been knocked over. And as he was starting to feel weaker, the Shiki took one last swallow and sat up, staring down at the teen he had just drank from. For a fraction of a second a light flickered in those eyes that Natsuno recognized without a doubt, and then the blonde slumped forward and landed heavily on his chest, asleep.

Bite mark already closed on his neck, Natsuno pulled himself out from underneath his friend and stared down at the sated Okiagari. He was back in the dead sleep now, and without even trying the violette knew that not even shaking him would wake him back up. So retrieving the cloth from the bathroom he came back and wiped up his neck and Tohru's mouth before shoving him back in the corner. Then he sat down next to him and prepared for another long night.

As he'd expected, Tohru didn't wake again the entire night, and after dozing off first thing in the morning he went out to hunt again. The clover patch turned out to be a bust, nothing showing even after he waited for several hours, but he did manage to catch a couple pheasants after stalking around the rest of the wood. Heading back just before sunset, just like the previous night Tohru woke right as the sun went down just long enough to feed before falling back asleep. He took the time this time to change the blonde's clothes, tossing the tattered rags over near the closet, then settled down to watch over his charge. And when the sun started to peek over the horizon with a new day he let himself drift off to sleep.

* * *

He woke with a start, senses already on high alert. What had disturbed him from his slumber wasn't apparent just yet, but every fiber of his being was telling him to be on guard. Shifting himself from his seated position, he had positioned himself between the blonde and both the window and the door before he realized what had caused him to stir; quiet footsteps were making their way down the hall. No doubt he had heard the front door swing open, perhaps the broken lock still on the floor in the living quarters being bumped by the toe of a shoe, and that had alerted him to an intruder entering his territory. Remaining crouched on the bed, ready to pounce at the first sign of hostilities, his glowing purple eyes remained fixed on the door.

Whoever it was was being cautious, slow, measured steps bringing them ever closer to the closed portal. Something or someone had entered here, and based on the condition of the front door they were strong. It was day time now, but they weren't going to risk anything by being hasty, and instead moved with agonizing slowness towards their destination. One hand closing around the doorknob, he swallowed the lump in his throat before slamming the door open.

Natsuno didn't move, but Tohru whined as the metal clanged against the wall, curling himself into a tighter ball. The man who had opened the door, cross held in one hand and a stake and hammer hanging at his waist, stood in the doorframe and stared at the two teenagers. When he'd come to him mountain cottage to gather the last of his supplies he had been surprised to find the front lock broken, but wasn't sure just who he might find inside. He had expected it to be a surviving Okiagari, but Toshio Ozaki had never thought he would run into Natsuno again.

* * *

And they meet! Hehehe, I'm gonna leave you guys with that. Hope you enjoyed it!

Reviews are always luffed and appreciated.


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